GFDRR is sponsoring three leaders in seismic risk management from priority countries to participate in the Housner Fellows program.
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), a partner of GFDRR in seismic risk reduction, has created an annual Housner Fellows Program to develop leaders in the field of earthquake risk reduction—both in the practicing and academic communities—by building their leadership, advocacy and networking skills.
EERI is using a bequest from one of the fathers in earthquake engineering, Dr. George Housner (1910-2008) to establish this muliti-year program.
In January 2012, the three Fellows below were recipients of the EERI-GFDRR Housner Fellowship giving them the opportunity to improve their leadership skills, access world class mentors, and expand their global risk reduction network of experts. This will enable them to make a positive difference in strengthening DRM in disaster-prone developing countries around the world. Five other EERI Housner Fellows, funded by other sources, were selected for the same program— four from the United States, and one from India.
Please meet the three new EERI-GFDRR Housner Fellows:
Mrs. Carlien Bou-Chedid is a structural engineer with over 28 years of experience. Bou-Chedid obtained a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Surrey, UK in 1983 and a MSc in earthquake engineering and structural dynamics from the Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London, UK in 1999. Mrs. Bou-Chedid has worked at various times in Ghana as a structural engineer with the Architectural and Engineering Services Corporation (AESC), as Director, Education and Training, Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) and more recently, from 2003 until 2010 as the Executive Secretary, GhIE. She currently works as a Consultant with CBC Consult. Mrs. Bou-Chedid has authored technical papers on seismic risk and the vulnerability of buildings in Ghana. She is a member of the Ghana Earthquake Society, National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Geological Technical Committee of the National Disaster Management Organisation, (NADMO).
Mr. Hassan Mdala is a geologist with almost three years of field experience. He graduated from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College in 2008 with a BSc in earth sciences majoring in geology. In February 2009, Mr. Mdala joined the Geological Survey Department of Malawi in the seismology section as a Geologist. In February 2010, Hassan co-authored a technical report on the structural and geological mapping of the Karonga Earthquake, December, 2009. In October 2010, he co-authored a paper on the geological findings of the active fault mapping of the Rukwa-Tanzania-North Malawi Region. Mr. Mdala is also a member of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Stakeholders (MDRMS).
Dr. Syed Mohammad Ali is the Director of the Earthquake Engineering Center at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, Pakistan. He has been in teaching and research since 2002. He received his PhD in civil/earthquake engineering and M.Sc and B.Sc. from UET Peshawar. Dr. Ali installed the first shake table of Pakistan in 2005. After the devastating earthquake of 2005 he prepared a proposal for a federal grant worth US$8.1 million, which was approved and he is currently installing a very large seismic shake table and other earthquake testing equipment in the new lab. He is supervising two PhD students and working on earthquake related research on bridges. He has delivered lectures to field engineers and professionals in Pakistan through platforms of UN. He has collaborated with EERI since 2005. Dr. Ali has been instrumental in developing international collaborations with SUNY Buffalo and California Geological Survey for strong motion instrumentation of structures for Pakistan.
GFDRR: Why did you apply for the EERI-GFDRR Housner fellowship?
Mrs. Bou-Chedid: I have for many years been aware that Ghana faces a significant risk from earthquakes. This fact was brought even closer home to me by the devastation caused by the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Reports from Haiti show that the situation with regards to building practices before the earthquake was not much different from Ghana. Early this year, I joined a few likeminded individuals to form the Ghana Earthquake Society, a not-for-profit organization that intends to promote seismic safety in Ghana. I saw my nomination as an opportunity to receive training in leadership skills, enhance my competence and improve my ability to attract technical and financial resources necessary for promoting seismic safety in Ghana. I also believed that my nomination would help to draw the attention of the international community to the potential disaster faced by Ghana.
Mr. Mdala: From the seismological data collected in our local network, it shows that The Malawi Rift System is active as evidenced by the Salima and Karonga earthquakes in [Malawi during] 1989 and 2009 respectively. This then puts the country in a position that needs well-trained professionals in all areas of seismic activities which include safety and risks reduction. This is an opportunity and the best time for Malawi to have well-trained personnel in the field of seismic risk reduction. That is what prompted me to apply for this training course.
Dr. Ali: I am confident that after going through the prestigious Housner Fellowship program I would have much better knowledge and skills to effectively fill the gap that generally lies between researchers and policy makers. I applied for the fellowship as it has very well-designed objectives to enhance capacity as leader in area of seismic risk reduction.
GFDRR: What will you be doing during the ERRI-GFDRR Housner Fellowship?
Mrs. Bou-Chedid: I will participate in the next annual meeting of the EERI and the Asilomar Summer Institute in June 2012. I will be expected to work on a group project to be initiated during the Summer Institute as well as an individual project. There is a possibility of participating in a reconnaissance mission after a damaging earthquake or a policy-related visit to Washington DC.
Mr. Mdala: During this programme, I will be able to share my earthquake risk-related experiences with my colleagues. I will also participate fully in and completing both the group and individual projects that shall be initiated during the Asilomar Summer Institute.
Dr. Ali: I will be teaching, conducting research and advocating the cause of Prof. George Housner―that is to motivate more people to work for seismic risk reduction.
GFDRR: What do you hope to do with the Fellowship learning experience?
Mrs. Bou-Chedid: I would like to contribute to the development of guidelines for the design and construction of small buildings in Ghana. Buildings are being constructed at a very fast pace within areas that are likely to experience seismic action in future. I believe that well illustrated guidelines will not only be useful for artisans and technicians. Home owners who wish to protect their investment will also be empowered to ensure that the right thing is done. I would also like to see to the adoption of comprehensive building code for the country. At present, engineers in Ghana use a variety of codes. I would like to be part of an effort that produces a code specifically for use in Ghana. Finally, I would like to contribute to the establishment of a comprehensive disaster management plan for earthquakes that properly involves all citizens. Disaster management plans have been drawn up for the country but they appear to depend on a top down approach with a central body taking control of everything in the event of an earthquake. I believe that we should have a plan in which every citizen has a role to play and knows their role.
Mr. Mdala: The leadership skills that will be learned during this program will assist me in forming seismic safety and risks reduction groups in each and every district across my country. These groups would be responsible for seismic risk and safety awareness campaigns in corroboration with the Geological Survey Department of Malawi and the Department of Disaster Risk Management, Malawi.
Dr. Ali: I am hopeful that I would be able effectively work at national level to work on issues that relate to policy making, undertaking research that has direct link to specific issues that Pakistan faces. I am also expecting to further increase my collaborative links with professionals on international level through this fellowship program.
GFDRR: How do you think governments should move towards prevention measures?
Mrs. Bou-Chedid: Governments must first ensure that the hazard is clearly defined and the performance criteria required for buildings and structures within each area is determined. Standards and guidelines for the construction of buildings should be produced. In particular, for smaller buildings that are currently put up by craftsmen and artisans, simple rules should be developed that are well illustrated and can easily be understood by laypersons. Standards and guidelines will also be required for retrofitting existing buildings. Government will have to find ways of ensuring that retrofitting work is carried out for major and important buildings like hospitals and schools.
Mr. Mdala: As part of their prevention measures governments should adopt building codes that will make buildings/infrastructure withstand earthquake shocks there-by reducing the risks of property damage, injuries and loss of life. This can be accomplished by forming and adopting a seismic safety and risk reduction policy in all disaster related departments of the government.
Dr. Ali: The government should consistently invest in key areas specifically related to seismic risk reduction. I suggest that government should involve researchers/academia in policy making; however we researchers/academia need to take a leadership role and try to guide the policy makers in language that they understand; pure technical language most of the time is alien to non-technical policy makers.
GFDRR: What is your advice to students and development professionals regarding this work?
Mrs. Bou-Chedid: Development professionals and students must recognize that they have a responsibility for the protection of life and property. They must take steps to ensure that they are fully conversant with the requirements for design and construction of buildings. Development professionals must also ensure that they only operate within their field of competence.
Mr. Mdala: My advice to students and development professional regarding this work is that natural disasters like earthquakes are real; let us join hands in coming up with mitigation measures that can prevent property damage and loss of life.
Dr. Ali: I urge students and development professionals to come forward and work in seismic risk reduction as it is a serious challenge to societies. For a developing country like Pakistan with a population of 180 million, which lies in high seismic risk area, the level of responsibility is much bigger. I have already started to motivate my student in UET Peshawar―I am very happy to state that around seven students (graduate and undergraduate) are in process to become members of EERI and they are extremely anxious to start a student chapter of EERI in UET Peshawar, which most likely would be the first such chapter of EERI in the entire region
GFDRR: Anything else you would like to add for our readers?
Mrs. Bou-Chedid: In order to ensure adequate preparedness for a major event, there is a need for adequate dissemination of information. Governments and even technical personnel must recognize that they cannot achieve the level of preparedness required without the help of several other organizations. The message must be simple enough so that it can be disseminated by lay persons. Thus whether the message is on what to do in the aftermath of an event or how to construct buildings that will remain safe, it should be presented in a format that is easily understood.
Dr. Ali: I owe very special thanks to EERI, FEMA and the World Bank (GFDRR) that they included developing countries in this program, which speaks of their support and commitment to help developing countries in this challenging endeavor. I would request if World Bank (GFDRR) could continue supporting GFDRR-Housner Fellows to travel every year to participate in conferences like that of EERI and meet GFDRR people as this would help in many ways, such as exposing us on long terms basis to developed world and help us form long-term partnerships.
Contributed by Christina Irene and Anita Gordon, Communications and Knowledge Management, GFDRR, The World Bank. Article and photos courtesy of Syed Mohammad Ali, Hassan Mdala, Carlien Bou-chedid, Marjorie Greene, and Sahar Safaie. For more information, please click here or contact Christina Irene at cirene@worldbank.org.